Volunteers give school house a little TLC

It stood out like a sore thumb and so he decided to do something about it.

Kevin Maurin saw that the paint was peeling on the historic Redford Township District No. 5 School at 18499 Beech Daly.

So he and his friend Scott Bollinger decided to paint it for free.

“I drive down Beech Daly eight to 10 times each week,” Maurin said. And while the areas along Beech Daly are looking kept up, the “old school building just kind of sat out like a sore thumb,” he said.

The pair used paint, brushes, rollers and other supplies donated by Mike Kelly of Environmental Maintenance Engineers, Maurin said.

Built between 1916 and 1921, the building was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1994 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. It is owned by the Redford Union School District.

Then there they were out there on a Saturday, scrapping and painting the building. Maurin and Bollinger grew up in Redford. Bollinger still lives in Redford, and while Maurin, a Thurston graduate, has moved, he still owns a home in Redford.

Volunteer time

“We volunteered our own personal time for this project,” Maurin said.

Maurin could only complete different areas of the building due to the deteriorating condition of the school bell tower and certain window structures/frames, according to Redford Community Development Director Mike Dennis.

“We appreciate him thinking about Redford Township and giving back to his hometown,” Dennis said.

They painted the door, gable, soffits, front window frame and did a little bit of patching and repairing, Maurin said.

“It was looking really rough,” he said.

“The bell tower was not painted because of a lot of rot,” Maurin said. “It has to be repaired.”

“We’re looking into trying to find a solution for the steeple,” he said.

“I just thought I would help out and volunteer to help the aesthetic on Beech Daly,” Maurin said.